The environment in which a musical instrument is stored affects the reliability, sound, condition, and lifespan of that instrument. Musical instruments are typically stored in containers that are designed to be both easily portable and protective against environmental hazards such as wind, rain, dust, sand, and sun. However, conventional instrument cases are not built with the capability to protect instruments from the ongoing hazards of temperature and humidity, either high or low.
The presence or absence of atmospheric humidity, in particular, can affect the is lifespan and sound of many musical instruments, among them stringed, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. According to Making Musical Instruments by Irving Sloane, all instruments, stringed instruments in particular, are best built in a dry atmosphere. For example, a fiddle constructed in an atmosphere of about 65% relative humidity is likely to crack if moved to an area of 20% or less relative humidity. Since the converse does not hold true, instrument makers generally build instruments in a relatively dry environment, typically about 40%-45% relative humidity. In this way, they enable the instruments they construct to survive the normal extremes of humidity that a given instrument might encounter over time.
Though this type of precaution is taken in construction, the presence or absence of humidity, whether in the form of excessive moisture or of extreme dryness, can cause swelling, splits, cracks, checking, movement in glue joints, and distortion of woods or other materials in a given instrument. Any of these problems can damage or destroy an instrument. Potentially the most damaging situation in which an instrument, susceptible to changes in humidity, can be put is in an excessively humid atmosphere, coupled with rapid changes in temperature. This situation can easily cause permanent damage to an instrument, and often occurs when an instrument is transported from one location to another.
Though the prior art has in some ways recognized these problems, the solutions provided, as seen below, do not go far enough in an effort to protect valuable musical instrument from the depredations of temperature and humidity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,630 (to Kirck) discloses a portable, self-enclosed reed case that maintains an environment most conducive to the reeds used in woodwind instruments. Kirck is silent regarding protecting the instruments themselves.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,075 (to White) discloses a musical instrument case cover that includes foam and plastic materials that retard the effects of the environment encountered outside the case itself The case provides protection for about five hours in extreme conditions and for about twenty-four hours in less extreme conditions. An important drawback to the White invention is that it seeks to maintain the ambient conditions prevailing at the time the case is closed. Thus, if the ambient conditions, at the time of closure, consist of extreme moisture and heat, these conditions are preserved within the case.
From the above, it appears that a long-felt need in the field has been for a device capable of allowing a musical instrument owners to consistently control and monitor the ambient temperature and humidity of the atmosphere in which the store, transport, or carry their instruments. Such a device would preferably allow the owner to control the atmospheric challenges of humidity and temperature generally encountered, thereby protecting the instrument for an extended period.